1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to sanitary wipes of the kind used by people to wipe their posteriors. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that position a sanitary wipe at the end of an extension handle.
2. Prior Art Description
It is important for the health of the body that a person properly wipe after having a bowel movement. If a person does not wipe properly, residual fecal matter can cause the skin to rash. If the rash is not treated, bacteria from the fecal matter can rapidly cause the rash to become infected.
Most people are taught proper wiping hygiene as a child. However, the physical action of wiping does require a certain degree of dexterity that many people do not have. For example, people with arthritis, muscle injuries, bone injuries and the obese are only a few groups that cannot wipe in the traditional manner.
In the prior art, there are many devices that have been developed to assist a person in the act of wiping. Many of these prior art devices have elongated handles that assist people to properly reach the areas of their bodies that require wiping. Such devices typically have small heads that are covered with a disposable wipe. A handle extends from the head so that the head can be manually manipulated by grasping and moving the handle. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,512 to Lathan, entitled Personal Hygiene Device, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,194 to Rosenfeld, entitled Sanitary Device.
The problem most associated with such prior art devices is that the head of the device that contacts the body is small. Furthermore, the contact head has a shape that is dissimilar from the contoured shape of the surfaces it is wiping. The result is that such prior art devices do not wipe efficiently and require complex manipulations to create a clean wipe. In understanding that people who use a handled wipe have heath issues that cause immobility, providing a wipe that requires complex manipulations is not an adequate solution to the hygiene problem.
A need therefore exists for a sanitary wipe that can be used by a person with limited mobility, yet provides a clean efficient wipe with limited manipulation. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.